Calvados Omelette (Gluten and Grain-Free)

February 15, 2013

Brunch means it’s the weekend. You wake up to the sunlight streaming through your window (or in my case, the sound of rain), and not a screaming alarm clock. You have nothing planned except lazying around in your pajamas. You have the luxury of leafing through neglected magazines, perhaps even sneaking in a couple of chapters from one of those books piled on your nightstand. And when the notion of food beckons, you know you have the time to putter about your kitchen, to create something special.

That, for me, is the ideal morning, and the meaning behind brunch. And I have for you the perfect recipe for such a morning. The result is quite impressive, with its golden hue and rich flavor of apples bathed in Calvados. But thankfully, the effort is minimal. So, once you have filled your belly with this yummy omelette, you can get back to doing nothing at all.

Ingredients (Serves 2):

4 eggs, at room temperature (tip: place in hot tap water for 5 minutes to bring to room temperature)

2 small apples, peeled and diced (preferably McIntosh or another softer variety)

2 Tbsp. Calvados (1 Tbsp. + 1 Tbsp.)*

4 Tbsp. whipping cream

2 Tbsp. honey (1 Tbsp. + 1 Tbsp.)

Butter

Whipped cream for topping, sweetened with some honey and a touch of vanilla (optional)

*Calvados is an apple brandy from the French region of Lower Normandy. It is made by fermenting apples into a dry cider, and distilling that cider into an “eau de vie” (a distilled beverage made from fruit other than grapes). This brandy can only be sold as Calvados after it has been aged in oak casks for a minimum of two years.

Although Calvados is the obvious pairing for this apple omelette, it’s not the only option. If you don’t have Calvados on hand, feel free to substitute a different brandy or a cognac. Failing that, you could skip the alcohol altogether if you wish – the taste of the apples is pronounced enough to not suffer terribly from the omission.

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Melt some butter in a pan over medium-high heat.

3. Add the diced apples, 1 Tbsp. honey, and 1 Tbsp. Calvados. Cook, stirring gently until the apples have softened and some of the alcohol has burned off.

4. In a medium sized bowl, combine the eggs, remaining 1 Tbsp. of honey and 1 Tbsp. Calvados, and the 4 Tbsp. of whipping cream. Mix well with hand mixer until frothy.

5. Over medium high heat, melt some butter in an oven proof pan (just enough to coat the pan).

6. Transfer the cooked apples to this pan, spreading them out evenly.

7. Gently pour the egg mixture over the apples and leave the pan on the heat for just under 2 minutes.

8. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake the omelette for 10-12 minutes until the top just starts to color. (If you leave it in the oven too long, you risk burning the bottom.)

9. Remove the pan from the oven. Gently slide a spatula around the edges and then underneath the omelette to loosen it. Slide the omelette onto a large plate.

10. Place another plate of the same size over the omelette, and invert the plates. Remove the original plate to reveal the inverted omelette.

11. Cut the Calvados omelette in half and transfer one half to another plate.

12. Serve hot with whipped cream (optional).

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